Improvement in door-plate and alarm



C. H. MILLER.

Door Plate and Alarm.

Patented March 16, 1869.

Q ll/11111111111gllmlllrlllallllllloz l'wvenfo-m time CHARLES H. MILLER, OF; BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

Letters Patent No. 87,958, dated March 1 1869; tmtedated Ma/rch 2, 1869.1

DEPROVEMENT IN DOOR-BLA'I'E AND ALARM'.

The Schedu1e referred to in these Letters Patent aha mak h'g part of the same.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES H. MILLER, of the city of Buffalo, in the county of Erie, and State of New York, haveinvented a certain new Mail Door-Plate and Alarm; and- I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure I is-a side elevation of my improvements, as they appear from-the inside, when attached to a door. Figure II is a horizontal section of a fragment of a door, showing a plan of my improvements.

Figure III is a vertical section of the same. Like letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures. The object of my improvements is to provide the aperture formed in doors for the delivery of mail-matter, with a plate and hinged cover, connecting with'a bell within, by which a signal is given when the said cover is removed in depositing the mail.

The-invention consists of the following features: First, in so ihinging the coverof the mail-aperture,

by means of inwardly-projecting ears from the ends thereof, that it wiltswing inward, in unclosing the aperture, and be flush with the sides of the latter when in its normal position. v

Second, in'operating a signal-bell, by means of said inwardly-swinging aperture-lid, l to give the required alarm .on the delivery of the mail.

Third, a spring-hammer, hinged near one end to a swinging plate, pivoted to the inside of the door, in such a manner that an inwardly-projecting arm of the mail-aperture cover-will press against the short arm of the hammer, and give the required alarm by striking a bell, arranged in close proximitythereto.

In the drawings- A represents a portion of an ordinary door.

B, a plate, attached to the butside of the door, provided with a horizontal slot, of suit-able size to permit the introduction of mail-matter.

O is a plate, or door, for closing this aperture, made of corresponding form. 1

:It is hinged to the main plate B; by means of inwardly-projecting lugs, or ears, (I d, at each end thereof, which are pivoted to similar lugs, d d, formed with the plate B, 'as clearly shown in Fig. III.

By this method of hi-nging, the cover 0 is flush with the main plate when closing the aperture.

The opening is unclos'e'd by lifting on the cover by means of finger -piece, c, projecting from the lower edge, the cover swinging upward and inward, so as to obstruct the aperture only to the amount of the thickness of the plate, as represented in red lines, Fig. III.

Fromthe upper edge of this cover-plate, projects inwardly an arm, j; as shown.

G is a bell, of any suitable kind, attached to the inner surface of the door, in close proximity to the aperture through the latter.

H is abell-ham mer, with abent-lever handle, hinged near its end to a hearing, or fulcrum-plate, i, which is pivoted to the door or plate j, attached thereto, so as 30 swing. in a plane, parallel with the surface of the cor.

k is a spiral spring between the bow of the lever and the fulcrum-plate; and

l is the short arm of the hammer-handle, against which the end of the arm f of the cover-plate presses, when the latteris swung up, in unclosing the aperture in the door.

scribed, the ends of the arm j, as the former is swung inward, will describe an arc, first elevating the short arm I, which withdraws thehammer from the bell, till the end of the arm f has, by reason of its moving in an arc, become disengaged from the arm I, when the recoil of the spring causes the hammer to strike the bell.

The fulcrum-plate, beingpivoted, permits the same to swing slightly upward, so as to prevent the velocity of the blow beingretarded by the upper side of the curved arm j, along which the arm I glides.

After the blow is struck, and signal given, the gravity of the hammer causes it to again assume its first position. y v

It is evident thatthe arm f may connect, on the inside of the door, with any suitable lever and wire, for- .operating .a bell, located atany other desired point than at thedoor, as readily as with the ordinary bellarrangement. 7 The advantages of my improvements are as follows: The plate B, with the cover 0,-may be used in place of the ordinary door-plate, the name being conveniently engraved on the cover 0, while thenumber can be engraved on the main plate above.

The method of hinging the cover, causes it, when. closed, to present the appearance of forming a-portion of the main plate itself, thereby avoiding the objectionable appearance of a cover hinged on the outside. The mode of hinging is also essential, in order to havethe cover connect with andoperate a bell within.

By connecting a hell, with the cover, to the aperture, which is rung when the latter is unclosed, immediate information is given of the delivery of any mail-matter, which can be deposited without delay,

and without the necessity of attending and opening the door.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, as an improvement on a bell-alarm and letter-box, is-- L 1. The cover 0, hinged .to the plate B by means of the ears d d, d d, as described and shown.

2. The hammer H,- spring 16, pivoted fulcrum-plate i, and bell G, operated by the projecting arm f of cover 0, substantially in the manner and for the purposes set forth.'

CHARLES 'H. MILLER. Witnesses:

W. J. CHAMBERLAIN, V. H. BECKER. 

